Ask Ann: Home trends changing for the inside and out

This past weekend marked the sixth time I've had the privilege of serving the Greater Atlanta Building Association as a judge for their annual awards. The 33rd annual OBIE Awards, governed by The Sales and Marketing Council of the Greater Atlanta Builders Association, recognizes outstanding efforts in building, marketing, remodeling and personal achievement related to the new home industry.

Was there anything to be shared from the weekend that might interest Middle Tennesseans?

To answer that question, I compared notes with several of the 18 judges in Atlanta - including my husband, David, and Charles Jeter of Norfolk Homes in Franklin. We identified several changes in the market to keep an eye on as new construction and the housing market continue to rebound.

At least in greater Atlanta, there is an increasing desire to live in the suburbs close to downtown offices and medical facilities.

Several of this year's upper tier entries were on infill lots in older neighborhoods. It was not uncommon to see a new home standing where a house valued in the upper $200s or $300s had once stood.

The end results were homes valued up to and more than a million dollars sprinkled among a majority of homes worth half of that amount or less.

Two other by-products of the infill housing appeared to be the frequent presence of a detached garage and the popularity of a second dwelling unit located above.

Zoning in many areas allows for Accessory Dwelling Units with kitchen and sleep space suitable for renters, independent family members or some other use.

In general, we saw fewer homes with finished basements when compared to the past. One reason might be that builders are responding to consumer demand and spending their construction dollars on outdoor living spaces.

Thrive Homes, an Atlanta-based builder currently expanding into Middle Tennessee, incorporated large, screened porches into most of the floor plans we observed.

Inside the home, a few things have changed.

Missing from the pool of homes being judged was the traditional two-story family room. The current trend seems to be higher ceilings throughout the first floor, oversized windows and long lines of sight. Still, the overall objective to bring more light into the home and create a greater feeling of spacious living has not gone away.

Finally, more homes have gravitated to very light colors throughout as evidenced by lighter cabinets in the kitchen and a trend toward light wall colors throughout the home - mostly hues of gray. Even the stain on hardwood floors appeared lighter than in years past.

No doubt that the evolving nature of interior trends should keep designers, painters and other tradesman busy for a long time to come as existing homeowners strive to keep their homes current to the market.

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Ask Ann: Home trends changing for the inside and out

This past weekend marked the sixth time I've had the privilege of serving the Greater Atlanta Building Association as a judge for their annual awards.